Such a system is marketed under the trade name of Dipline and described at the websites http://www.magiclite.com/dipline/diplilne.shtml and http://www.magiclite.com/downloads/PDFs/dipline.pdf. Dipline lit panel systems operate at low voltages, for example, 12 V or 24V. These known systems are promoted as self-powered, flat, flexible panels which serve as electrified walls or ceiling surfaces. It allows simple placement of light sources anywhere on a flat surface and has them light up instantly.
In the past few years, many relatively small light sources (=SLS), for example, LED products or miniature halogen lamps, have entered the market. Most of these products are retrofit so that they can be integrated in a current infrastructure with minimal investment. This, however, poses limitations on exploiting the full potential of SLS. Especially new buildings or homes provide the possibility of breaking away from the existing paradigms in lighting design. For example, it has already been proved that slim SLS lighting systems allow unobtrusive integration of lighting into a building. Apart from the different visual appearance of the lighting system, SLS-based systems also require new solutions for heat management, driver infrastructure, mechanical fixtures and user interfacing. One of the key value drivers of SLS integration in domestic environments is freedom of positioning. A consumer can create any desired lighting pattern by placing an SLS lighting system at any position on a wall or ceiling. Moreover, it is possible for a consumer to create his own atmosphere at home by combining several of these systems. In order that such a system works properly, it should allow easy positioning, fixation, and instant operation, and it should be robust.
The known electrode device is a panel, and its electrodes are plate-shaped electrodes which are arranged in a stacked position. The plate electrodes are separated by a plate-shaped electrically insulating layer and each plate electrode is preferably covered by a decorative (and electrically insulating) layer. The panels have typical dimensions of 1 square meter and a thickness of about 3 cm. The electrode device can be used to form façade walls or ceilings, or it can be alternatively applied as a cladding on existing walls, ceilings, or floors. The electrode device is connected to an electric energy supply system. The light sources, which are suitable for use in the known system, have pin-shaped electric contacts which are able to pierce the plate-shaped-electrodes and the intermediate electrically insulating layer. The pin-shaped electric contacts have different lengths so that, upon placing a light source on the electrode device, one electrode penetrates both plate electrodes and the other electrode penetrates only one plate electrode, thus realizing an appropriate electric contact with the electrode device. The pin-shaped electric contact penetrating both plate electrodes is partly coated with an electrically insulating layer so as to prevent short-circuiting of the two plate electrodes via this electric contact. The system allows positioning of lamps at any desired location, thus offering great creative freedom of designing lumination and/or illumination patterns, and easy exchange to suitable and/or desired light sources in dependence upon the required application.
However, various problems are encountered with the known system, in particular:
potential difficulties in managing heat generated by the at least one light source during operation because of the electrically (and thermally) electrically insulating layer between the electrodes;
due to switching the light source on and off, the electric contacts between the contact elements of the at least one light source and the electrodes will deteriorate and become unreliable as a result of the repeatedly thermal expansion and shrinkage of the contact elements of the at least one light source;
in current embodiments, users are limited to the use of pinboard-like walls if the visibility of the punched holes should diminish after removal of the at least one light source;
the known system is relatively inflexible and incapable of following relatively sharp contours of carrier materials (such as curved walls).